


Not all you see is true

by mistressterably



Category: House of 9 (2005)
Genre: Drug Use, Hallucinations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-06
Updated: 2015-11-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 05:59:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5152895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistressterably/pseuds/mistressterably
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Filling a facebook prompt -  I have a fic prompt. It's House of 9. Max and Claire  I'm unsatisfied with how their last scene ended.</p><p>This is what I imagine an alternate might be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not all you see is true

The bullet slammed into the center of his forehead, the pain a brief searing flash before he became insensible, unfeeling…

‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” The scream broke from his lips as the drug was injected into his veins. 

‘Easy, Mr. Roy, easy. The drugs are kicking in. Calm down.’ A hand was pressing him down, the voice calming. His heart felt like it was beating so hard it would jump from his chest. His hand shaking, he lifted it to his forehead to touch his skin. It came away with only sweat, not blood. It had felt so real… the others… the emotions.. the bullet.. the feeling of strangling her… 

‘FUCK!’ He sat up in the bed. ‘What the hell was in that?’

‘We told you before, Mr. Roy, a psychotropic drug to test reactions. It was all in the study release forms you signed.’

‘Fuck you. That is just fucked up! I’m out of this test! Take your fucking participant money and shove it up your ass!’ He was pulling off the monitor lines and sitting up in the bed. ‘Get this IV out of my arm! NOW!’

The nurse did as he bid and easily slid it out before bandaging his wrist. 

‘Before you go, the therapist needs to speak to you.’ The doctor who had administered the drug ushered him into an office. The therapist was the one who’d interviewed him four times before they would allow him to be injected with the drugs. He was questioned closely until the entire hallucination he’d experienced had been documented. 

‘How do you feel now?’ The doctor asked.

‘Tired, wiped out, fucking annoyed. I feel like I’ve actually been shot.’ Max lifted his hand to his forehead again. ‘Too fucking real, that shit.’

Finally he was given the all clear and he was out of the clinic and standing out front of the building to wait for a cab. Lighting up his smoke, he took a long drag and enjoyed the hit he got from the nicotine. They’d told him he had been out of it for almost six hours. Had felt like days. Thinking about his experience, his hands began to shake again. ‘Fuck,’ He muttered to himself and jammed his free hand into his trousers to stop it shaking. He could feel the card the therapist had given him. Call whenever he needed to, he’d been told. May have to if he couldn’t stop these fucking shakes, Max thought to himself. 

A cab pulled up, a woman stepping out. 

‘Claire?’ Max felt his jaw drop at the sight of the woman in front of him.

‘Max?’ She was equally surprised. ‘You were in the waiting room last week. How do I know your name?’

‘Same here.’ Max ran a hand through his hair. ‘Fuck. Were you in that….?’

‘Yes.’ Claire knew what he was talking about. 

‘Shit.’ Max stared at her awkwardly. Claire began to blush. ‘You were in my..’

‘Hallucination?’ Claire finished the sentence for him. ‘You were in mine as well.’

‘Fuck.’ Max turned away and had to spit on the ground, clearing his throat of the vile taste that had risen in his throat. Claire placed a hand on his shoulder and felt him shake. He whispered, ‘I killed you, strangled you..’

‘Oh.’ Her voice was just as quiet. ‘Sorry.’ She rubbed his shoulder, comforting him and not commenting as he had to spit some more.   
Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he turned back to her. ‘I’m out. I’m not doing any more tests. You?’

‘This is my second round.’ Claire couldn’t stop looking at him. ‘Max.’ 

‘Yeah?’ He coughed again but didn’t feel the need to clear any more vomit. 

‘I didn’t kill you in my hallucination.’ 

‘I’m glad.’ He laughed hoarsely.

‘I raped you.’ Her voice was barely heard by him. Max found himself turning away to vomit properly this time, his hands bracing against the wall of the building. ‘I don’t know why, Max. I wouldn’t dream of hurting a person. No one.’

‘I know, I know. I’d never do any of the shit I did in my hallucination. Well, except for when I danced with you. That I would do.’

‘Oh!’ Claire blushed for a different reason now. Her eyes went to the clinic doors. She would have to go inside soon. ‘Max?’

‘Claire?’ He was a bit green still but the worst was past now, he thought. 

‘Could we?’ She gestured to him and then back to her, hinting at getting together.

‘I’d like that, Claire.’ Max smiled at her. He pulled out the therapist’s card and she gave him her number. ‘I’ll call you tonight?’

‘Please!’ Claire said. ‘Time to go in.’

‘Good luck,’ Max said. ‘And.. ah… I know it’s not you, the real you, whatever you see in your head in that fucking place.’

‘I know, Max. But still.’ 

‘I’ll call you. Tonight. I promise.’ Max said. Claire nodded and went inside. Max, feeling better, got in the cab and left.


End file.
